£LA N US ILUC LR US. 2(17 



IlAP-irs. 



The Mississippi Kites ;iro, with the exception of one other species, the only members 



! (he present order, which I have not seen living. This is, perhaps, partly due to acci- 



:' but is probably attributable to the fact that the birds are quite rare and only inhabit 



••.:itcd area of the section over which I have collected. Which ever way it is, however, 



■. J never seen, as before stated, a living specimen and therefore, the remarks which I 



u )w make upon their habits, must be brief. 



j.lv. Ridgway informs me that he found these Kites not uncommon on the prairies of 

 Southern Illinois; indeed, this bird appears to be restricted to the more open sections of 

 the country, aA'oiding the heavily wooded districts. As intimated, the Mississippi Kites 

 are rare east of the valley from which they take their name but Mr. Charles Nauman writes 

 me that he has seen the species once in Florida, while Audubon and more recent authors 

 state that they occur in the Carolinas. According to Audubon, these birds make their ap- 

 pearance in Louisiana about the middle of April, breed early in May, the young leave the 

 nest in July, and, accompanied by their parents, depart for the Tropics by the fifteenth of 

 August. 



GENUS V. ELANUS. THE WHITE-TAILED KITES. 



Gf.n. Cn. Bill, short, well curved, loith the cuttinj ed'je of the upper mandible sliijhthj hhcd. Tail, rounded and stiyhl- 

 .j- emarijinate, not cxccedmy in leni/th one half the length of the wini/s which are quite lony. There is no niff whatever on 

 itieface. 



Members of this genus usually have tlie colors very lii;lit with the tail white. The tarsus is short and naked to the 

 iiecl behind, but is feathered in front for half its length. The toes are short and thick but the claws are well curved and 

 pointed. Only two outer quills arc incised on the inner webs. Sexes similar in color. There is but one species within 

 our limits. 



ELANUS LEUCURUS. 



Black-shouldered Kite. 



Elanus Icucurus Vieill., Nout. Diet., XX; 1818, 563. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cn. Form, rather robust. Size, medium. Bill, short. Feet, comparatively stout, with short claws. Tail, not 

 very long. 



Color. Adult. Head and nwk all around, under portions, including under wing coverts, under tail covert=, and tib- 

 il, w!iice. Smaller upper wing cjvorts, glo-=sy bl.ick. Tiil, white, with the two central feathers ashy-gray. Remaindoruf 

 upper portions, including wings and upper tail coverts, ashy-gray. 



Youn<j. Similar to the adult but overwashed with brownish above. The wing coverts are tipped with white and the 

 black on t!ie shouldei-s is consideraldy duller. 



Nestlings. Are at first covered with a yellowish down, then gradually assume the plumage last described. Bill, black, 

 cere and feet, yellow, iris bright ruby, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Tlicre appears to he but little variation in specimens of the same age. linown from all other species which occur with- 

 in (jur limits by tlie white tail, black shoulders, and general light tint-;. Distributed, as a summer resident, up the Miss- 

 is=ij)pi Valley as far as Southern Illinois. A rare resident in Florida and other Eastern Southern States, north as far as 

 South Carolina. 



